Brain.fm vs Still

Brain.fm provides music for focus, sleep, relaxation, and meditation, with modes such as Deep Work, Creativity, Learning, Light Work, and Motivation. The company says its patented neural entrainment technology is designed to guide listeners toward a desired mental state, and that it reduces attention-grabbing elements so the music can remain in the background. Infinite, Timer, and Interval options track work and break periods. Brain.fm describes its music as designed for ADHD and offers a High Neural Effect mode. The maker says it evaluates music using attention tasks and placebo controls, as well as EEG and fMRI studies. The service works on the web, iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. Desktop downloads list macOS 12+ and Windows 10+, and an internet connection is required. Monthly access costs $14.99 a month; yearly access costs $99.99 a year. Both plans include Focus, Sleep, Relaxation, and Meditation modes across web, mobile, and desktop. A 14-day trial and student plan are available; there is no free plan.

Still is an iOS meditation app that generates tracks from user descriptions using AI. Seven presets are available: Ambient, Nature, Piano, Tibetan, Binaural, Lo-fi, and Classical; users can also describe a custom style. Sessions include 3-, 10-, and 30-minute examples, custom timers, and lengths up to 45 minutes on the listed plans. Generated tracks are saved in a personal library, while streaks, total minutes, session history, and the last session are tracked. The app works offline and supports Apple sign-in or guest use. It requires iOS 16 or later. There is no free plan, but a 3-day trial is listed. The monthly subscription costs $7.99 per month and the annual subscription costs $69.99 per year. Both plans allow up to two new tracks per day and auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Payments use Apple In-App Purchase. Users retain ownership of generated content, although AI results are not guaranteed to be unique, high-quality, or suitable.